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Rambling TV: Thoughts on Agents of SHIELD, TWD + more

A little late, but I saw so many great movies this week I just didn't have time to talk about TV..Agents of SHIELD

I really don't know how I feel about the winter finale. On one had, this episode had some really great moments with Fitzsimmons, Mack, and Coulson. But there was some cringeworthy stuff too. Daisy Sue being the face of SHIELD? The fact that Coulson even suggests that shows what's wrong with this show. Daisy shouldn't be the focus. She's an uninteresting Mary Sue who can barely act. This show is likely going to be cancelled this season, and on one hand I'll be sad as I've grown to love some of the characters on this show, but on the other hand, I'll be happy never to see Daisy again. Her presence on the show actually annoys me more then the fact that AoS makes it completely unbelievable that no one would call the Avengers.Ghost Rider had a pretty anti climatic finish, but I don't think that's the last of him we'll see this season.AIDA going rogue did surprise me, so wtf is she doing with May? And can she kill Daisy instead?Hairspray Live!

I love Hairspray. It's easily one of my favorite musicals and I prefer those versions to the original 1988 movie. This was fun. It was a bit shaky at times, but most of the cast was excellent.The Good:Dove Cameron who played Amber was a gem. This is my first time seeing her in something, though someone pointed out to me on Twitter that she's kind of a big deal on the Disney Channel right now. It was nice to hear "Cooties" again after the 2007 version left it out.Maddie Baillio was a good Tracy, though it seems like her nerves got to her a few times.Seeing Broadway legends Kristin Chenoweth and Harvey Fierstein were also a absolute joy. Jennifer Hudson and Ephraim Sykes were great at Maybelle and Seaweed. Hudson brought down the house, but prefer Queen Latifah and Elijah Kelley from the film.Martin Short and Rosie O'Donnell also cracked me up in their small roles.The BadAriana Grande's stunt casting. What were they thinking? I'm not sure what annoyed me more, the fact that they didn't make her take out her extensions (anyone else catch that mouthful of pigtail she got during Momma I'm a Big Girl Now?) Or the fact that she still sings and moves like a popstar. She's constantly throwing her hands up and trying to belt over the other singers. Acting wise she was fine, but I never thought I'd see the day where I preferred Amanda Bynes as Penny. Derek Hough, while charismatic and a wonderful dancer should not be given singing parts. (same goes for his sister) His notes were flat, and it's impossible not to compare him to James Marsden who was perfect as Corny Collins in the 2007 movie.Speaking of charisma. Garrett Clayton had zero. I'll take Zac Efron back, please. The Walking Dead

You know, I should be happy that the group is (mostly) back together. That there was a great moment between Rick and Michonne, that Daryl escaped. But I'm just over this show at this point, and I know I won't stop watching it because I watch it with my family. The mid season finale gave us two more deaths...Alexandria redshirts Spencer and Olivia. Negan also took Eugene as a hostage because he's predictable. We finally saw Carol and Morgan again, but I'm so over Gimple's forced isolation of her. It's hard to completely enjoy a happy family reunion when he won't let her be part of it. To quote Rick Grimes himself...I'm tired, son. Rambling TV is a series where I ramble semi coherently about the things I've watched on television. This week is brought to you by being completely done...

4 comments:

I watched AoS a few weeks back for the first time in a few seasons. It was accident, really. It just came on the TV as I was doing something else so I didn't bother changing the channel. I was utterly lost, no surprise. The biggest thing that struck me was it seemed like everyone suddenly had super powers. I'm in the middle of deciding whether I'm going to go back and watch the entire series or just give up on it, altogether. As for Daisy, I do remember when she first appeared on the show. No, acting doesn't appear to be her strong point. I always thought she was there as much for her looks as anything else, sadly.

I watched Hairspray Live with my girls. All three of us thought it was fairly mediocre, and much prefer the '07 movie. For what it's worth, they both loved Ariana Grande as Penny. I thought she was okay. On the other hand, none of us were really thrilled with Maddie Baillio. Her acting and singing were fine, but her dancing felt forced and clunky. Nikki Blonsky was much more of a natural at that aspect and it really helped her wonderful performance.

Hudson is a far better singer than Latifah (and most other human beings), but the Queen was a better Maybelle.

As for Ephraim Sykes as Seaweed...sigh. He was a big no for me. He is a great singer and dancer, but I thought his performance was overly sexual. It was to the point of being creepy. He was all grinding hips and lurid stares. In the film, there was sexual tension between Kelley and Bynes, but they maintained an innocence fitting the material. Here, whenever Seaweed and Penny got together it felt like aggressive foreplay. I would not have been surprised to see them wander off to a corner of the stage and jump each other's bones while we can all see them. It just didn't fit. Maybe I'm being a bit prudish on this one, but what they were doing was out of place with everything else going on.

If there was anyone who was better than their big screen counterparts, it was Kristen Chenoweth and Harvey Fierstein. They were both terrific.

If you do go back and start AOS, start half way though S1. It's terrible until the Hydra reveal that happened in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. That's what made AoS better, but they focus a lot on Inhumans now, which IMO has been a weak link. The thing this show does terrible is it doesn't justify having anyone but the Avengers handle their threats. Daredevil and Jessica Jones balanced that well. It made since Iron Man wasn't getting sent in, but I never feel that way in AOS.

Sykes had nothing on Kelley. I get what you're saying about sexual, and Penny was SO naive it felt completely awkward. It doesn't help that Grande made her entire career on the sexy baby thing.

YES to Chenoweth and Fierstein being better. I'd say Dove Cameron had a leg up on Brittany Snow too just because she had a better singing voice.

I didn't bother watching the Hairspray live thing. I do like Dove Cameron for her work on Liv & Maddie and I do like Jennifer Hudson. Yeah, I think it pales to the film musical version which is that rare remake that kind of eclipses the original.

I don't like Derek Hough at all. I think he's a smug piece of shit who can't act nor sing like his equally-untalented sister. Plus, I think they have a secret incest relationship.

LAMB #753

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